Correct abbreviation for “byte” and “bit”



What is the correct abbreviation for the word “byte”? What about the word “bit”?


For example, isn't it common to see in printed media that “Kb”, “Mb” and “Gb” are used in place of “KB”, “MB” and “GB”, respectively?


Is the usage different, depending on the medium? Has this changed over time?



Although I don't specifically recall encountering this very-very recently, a quick Google easily reveals a example from about a decade ago, circa 1998/1999:


http://archive.arstechnica.com/paedia/celeron_oc_faq3.html



If you are going to use a 100 MHz bus speed, you should plan on getting PC-100 SDRAM memory. Many people have reported successfully using their old PC-66 memory, however, if you do try it and have problems overclocking, memory would be a likely suspect. You should also plan on starting with a minimum of 64 Mb. It's best to get 64 or 128 Mb DIMM modules since the number of memory sockets is usually only 3, or 4 at the most. Two 32 Mb DIMM modules will limit your ability to upgrade memory in the future.





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